Letter
by black-licorice-and-sugar
Summary: Alfred and Arthur grew up together as young boys, but Arthur had to move back to England. They talked until Alfred and Arthur had a fight that led to them deleting each others contacts at age 18. Arthur moved back so desperately wanting to apologize. Except there is only one problem.


6 years ago-

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARTHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR! xoxoxoxoxo Ur lik 16 now huh u old man?_

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _Your grammar really does need work, Alfred. As endearing as it is for an idiot like you to type like that, it is rather a headache to read. Aside the point, thank you for acknowledging my day of birth._

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _Aw come on Artie dont be lik that! r u gettin a huge cake and lots of presents? how about ur uptight british friends r they comin to ur party? DID U GET MY GIFT?!_

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _I have it right next to me actually. I wanted to wait until you got on to open it. I'll start right now._

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _aww thats cute tell me wat u think k? ;)  
_

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _Alfred._

 _This is really amazing! How did you afford this?_

 _Oh my God, I can't even believe this!_

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _wooooow look whose using exclamations :D_

 _do u really like it?_

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _Like it?! I love this! You know I love The Beatles and this is just perfect! Thank you so much!_

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _haha well u know me 6w6  
_

 _i know what u love_

 _and stuff_

 _geez that sounded creepy_

 _oh_

 _mom's callin :(_

 _gotta go art_

 _love you 3  
_

 _u_

 _lol didn't mean to type that_

 _ttyl_

* * *

5 years ago: _  
_

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _Hey, Alfred. It's been a while since_ _we've talked. Are you alright?  
_

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _yeah yeah I'm good. how are you Art?_

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _I'm fine. I'm a junior in highschool now. One more year and I'll be able to move back._

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _really? cool. it'll be nice to see you again. I'm still a sophomore._

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _Are you really OK, Al?_

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _yeah_

 _why wouldn't I be?_

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _I don't know? Your typing strangely._

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _oh_

 _I guess all the schoolwork is finally getting to me._

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _It's about time something did._

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _yeah_

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _Arthur. Can I tell you something_

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _Of course. Anything._

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _Alfred?_

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _Are you asleep?_

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _nevermind_

 _good night Arthur_

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _Good night._

 _I suppose._

* * *

4 years ago-

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _Where the hell have you been?_

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _I'm sorry. I've been busy with schoolwork, my job, and balancing friends over here._

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _Seriously? So you just forget about me and go hang out with crooked-teethed people._

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _Alfred, that's really offensive. I don't even have crooked teeth and I'm British. What's wrong?_

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _I'm being mean? What about all the times you've called me an 'idiot' or all the times you've made fun of Americans and the way we eat._

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _Well you can't exactly blame me, can you? You're customs are repulsive._

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _Oh, and sipping tea all day with your heads up your own asses is a fine way to spend the evening, isn't it?_

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _You're being really rude right now, Alfred._

 _I think I'll just let you alone for a bit._

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _No, I'm not done. You say I'm rude and yet you seem to find it perfectly acceptable to be a whiny bitch all the time. Can't say I'm surprised about that, you've always been that way._

 _You seem to believe you're better than everyone else until I decided to do the right thing and hang out with you when were kids. I honestly think I was your only friend. And back then you used to believe you could talk to fairy's and shit. No wonder no one wanted to hang out with you._

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _Well you know what, Alfred._

 _At least I don't have a bastard half-brother from their whore of a mother with a father who left when they were four years old._

 _At least I bother to work for a living then mooching off of said brother for years._

 _At least I have the decency to man up and make a life for myself.  
_

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _Don't talk to me anymore._

 _We're done._

 _TeaandCrumpets_ responded: _It's about time._

 _hamburgerhero6w6_ sent you: _Goodbye._

 _TeaandCrumpets_ has permanently blocked _hamburgerhero6w6_

* * *

That was 4 years ago. Arthur was now 22. Alfred was 21.

For the years after the fight, Arthur deeply regretted what he said but it seemed Alfred had cut off all connection with Arthur from cellphone number to email address to Skype to letters. He couldn't find the sunny blonde anywhere.

Now, he had moved back to America. To Tennessee. To the small rural area Arthur had lived in so many years ago before moving back home and leaving his best friend forever.

He really hoped Alfred hadn't moved to New York as he so desperately wanted to do to be closer to Arthur.

God, he hoped.

It had taken him years to get the funds to move back out here with a permanent home but it was worth it as he stared at the unreal reality of Alfred's front door staring back at him. The house hadn't changed. A pale baby blue door with a white frame and an old-fashioned house of wood freshly painted with the same ugly beige Emelia, Alfred's mother, loved. The tree-house they had played pirates in was rotting and falling apart from years of being exposed to the rain and no one to care for it. Maybe he and Alfred could rebuild it. They may not be able to play in it any longer but maybe kids could. His kids, Arthur's kids (though he had yet to have any). Their kids. The thought made him blush and he willed it away. Knocked on the front door.

Emelia answered. Years had not touched her sunny glow and perfect features of motherly sweetness yet Arthur had certainly outgrown her by a good head or two. Her hair was curled and she wore a light sundress and an expression of confusion. "Hello?"

"O-oh. . I'm Arthur Kirkland. I'm not sure if you remem-"

"Artie! Sweetie! It's been so long, dear!" He was engulfed in warmth and the smell of cookies and baking bread, a scent he had always loved and associated with the woman who he basically considered his second mother.

"Mom?" For a moment, Arthur's heart stopped. Alfred peeked around the corner and seemed to consider the man in the doorway before smiling with a gentleness akin to his mother. "Arthur. It's good to see you."

Arthur's heart dropped. "Hello, Matthew. I...is...is Alfred here? I really need to speak with him."

He had never felt an atmosphere turn so cold so quickly or gotten such a look from Matthew, the boy having been such a quiet child. Moreover, he had never seen Emelia cry before. Extremely concerned, Arthur guided her to the worn mint green couch sitting in the same place as it always had been. She cried for under and hour, taking tissues from helpful Matthew who supplied them along with a trashcan as if on instinct.

"I'm terribly sorry, . I didn't mean to upset you."

Blowing her nose, Emelia shook her head vigorously before responding. "No, I'm sorry, dear. It's just...these days are just harder to get by without him here."

Again, Arthur's heart took a dive. He had moved on. "I see...I understand it must be hard with him gone, but I'm sure he'll be back to see you. Possibly on holidays?"

Emelia looked utterly surprised so Matthew took the stand. "Eh...Arthur? Where exactly do you think Alfred is?"

"New York, I assume. He always did have his head in the clouds for bigger things like acting." Arthur reminiscing was broken by a worn envelope being held out to him.

"Read this. We assumed he told you, but I guess this will." Matthew comforted his mother with cookies, milk, and a warm blanket.

"What is it?"

The boy gestured to the letter.

Arthur turned it over and saw, in Alfred's terrible handwriting that he had grown accustomed to reading, his own name written in pen. He took no time in opening it.

* * *

 _Dear Arthur,_

 _I tried sending this letter but it seemed you had moved and it came right back. I couldn't contact you for one specific reason and I will explain it in this letter soon._

 _Firstly, I don't know if this will ever get to you. I'm trusting Matthew and mom to keep it safe until the day you might decide to come home and read it. I don't believe you'll ever truly forgive me for what I did and I'll never expect you to. But you should know why I did._

 _That day, your 16th birthday, my mom had called me to go for a doctor's appointment and it turned out I had cancer in my lung. I couldn't play sports anymore, mom wouldn't let me, and I got really weak and thin. It was terminal, meaning there is no cure or hope for surgery. But with your big brain, you probably already knew that. :)_

 _I didn't know how to tell you. I spent those few months trying to think of ways to tell you, but I just couldn't. Imagining you smiling about me having kinda good grammar for once just made it too hard. I shut you out._

 _The day we fought, I meant to start it. I thought if you lost contact with me it would make it easier on you and I could rest in peace knowing you had a full life without living with the loss of your best friend. I better still be. :I  
_

 _Secondly, I forgive you. I know you didn't mean what you said about mom and Mattie and even if you did I'd still forgive you. Because if you're reading this, then you obviously cared enough to come back home and that thought will stay with me my final days._

 _Lastly, I love you. Yeah, I know right. The awesome me has fallen for the nerd reading books alone in the library. ;) Just kidding but seriously. I love you, Arthur Kirkland. And of all these friends and lovers, there is no one compares with you. Get it? Beatles reference. Just for you._

 _I realized just how badly I felt this during our 'fight' and I was so tempted just to tell you then and there but I didn't._

 _And I'm sorry for that. If I had we might've been able to start something together. I'm not even sure how you felt about me but I just assumed._

 _I love you. Don't forget me._

 _Love, Alfred 6w6_

 _P.S: Nevermind about the 'starting a life together thing. I mean, if you wanted to then that's freaking awesome but if not then sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I don't have an eraser on this pencil and the nurse won't get me another one and I don't want to strike it out._

* * *

Arthur rubbed at the crinkled spots of long dried tears that decorated the single piece of paper and wiped at his own.

"We thought you knew, dear. You two were such good friends. He...he died. Three years ago. His lung collapsed and he went peacefully in his sleep." Emelia began crying onto Matthew who took it with open arms. "My baby was only 19..."

"Can I...see him?"

Arthur stood staring at the gravestone with clouded eyes.

 _Alfred Franklin Jones_

 _Age:19_

 _July 4, 1995-August 14, 2012_

 _Beloved Son, Brother, and Friend  
_

 _R.I.P._

Arthur crouched and touched the picture of the smiling American as he remember him. "I'm here, love...Rest in peace."

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry for all the angst I've been posting

I'll be writing exclusively usuk

and taken from this persons post

post/120880623469/human-au-alfred-and-arthur-grew-up-together-as

is the prompt i used

Enjoy!


End file.
